From Emmanuel Adeyemi Lokoja
There is a simmering crisis within the fold of All Progressive Congress in kogi state that may tear the party into shreds as no fewer than three factions have emerged with each trying to outsmart themselves on who succeeds governor Yahaya Bello in the November governorship election.
Already the crisis rocking the party may have a toll on it in this Saturday National Assembly election as most of the factions are working at cross roads supporting candidates of other political parties in the senatorial and House of Reps election.
As it stands, unless there is a last minute reconciliation effort, the ruling party may lose all the three senatorial districts in the state to the People’s Democratic Party while the nine Reps seat will be shared between the PDP , Advance Democratic Party, ADC leaving the ruling party with few seats
Investigations carried out by our correspondent revealed that although there have been pockets of Internal crises within the ruling party in the state, the last party primary elections may have put a death knell on the seemingly fragile party where the governor was alleged to have imposed unpopular candidates over the majority interest of the party members
For example, in the western senatorial district, a relatively unknown and shy- looking Steven Sunday Karimi was said to have been imposed on the party Instead of the ebullient, goal getting Senator Smart Adeyemi while Senator Isa Echocho ( also said to be imposed) in the PDP dominated Eastern senatorial district may find it pretty difficult to beat Victor Adoji of the PDP
In the central senatorial district where governor Yahaya Bello hails from, political observers believe that the PDP hurricane- moving Natasha Uduaghan may have posed a serious threat and a hard nut to crack as the ruling party’s candidate Saliu Ohere is said to be having sleepless nights over the rising popularity of the PDP candidate
Our correspondent noted that the festering crises have degenerated so deeply that APC juggernauts in the state are now seen openly canvassing and campaigning for candidates of opposition parties and urging their supporters to mobilize against their own party candidates with the cliche, ‘ vote for credible candidates not party in these elections’
For example, some APC stalwarts in kogi west were seen openly campaigning for Architect Idris Salman of the ADC for the kabba bunu/ ijumu federal constituency seat instead of the APC candidate, Mathew Kolawole who is the speaker of the state assembly while Leke Abejide of the ADC is said to be preferred above Olafemi, the APC candidate for Yagba federal constituency
Also, it is learnt that most of the APC supporters who supported Isa Echocho in his first tenure are now seen openly canvassing support for Victor Adoji of the PDP while some APC members in the Yagba federal constituency where Karimi hails from and that of kabba bunu/ ijumu where the speaker hails from are said to be seriously supporting Tajudeen Yusuf of the PDP.
In the central senatorial district, it is also learnt that the recent defection of some party big wigs like Yahaya Karaku regarded as a grassroot mobilizer has already deflated a sizeable support for the APC while political observers cite a cult followership syndrome especially among the women and youths in the area as a possible added advantage for Natasha to win at the poll
Aside from this, it is learnt that there is also an aggrieved faction which believes they have laboured so much for the party in the past elections but were not carried along and therefore resolved that this is the right time to pay back by spilling the beans
This group, it is learnt are members of the APC at the day time while they hobnob , dine and wine with members of the opposition at the cover of the night and even hold nocturnal meetings with the opposition leaking their party’s winning strategy.
Meanwhile, calls put through to the MTN line and Glo line of the APC campaign spoke man in the state, Kingsley Fanwo who is also the state commissioner of information for his reaction over the crisis proved abortive as the calls were unattended to.